Cowboy Sam's Quadruplets

by Tina Leonard

  “Yes, I do.” Sam beamed. “Usually, I’m on board for the checkup, Corinne, but today was a big day at the ranch. Thanks for filling in.”

  “Well,” Seton said, wanting to get her news out quickly, “today was one of the umpteen sonograms I have to have as a high-risk pregnancy—”

  “I hate that term. I prefer to think of it as high-value,” Sam said.

  “And Sam,” Seton said, trying not to let him stop her flow, “we’re having four girls.”

  Sam’s jaw dropped. “Four…girls?”

  Corinne laughed at his expression. Even Seton had to smile, he looked so dumbstruck.

  “Four girls?” he repeated.

  “Yes,” Seton said, “and so far, everything seems to be healthy and fine.”

  “That’s great. That’s great!” Sam exclaimed. He hopped up to give his wife a kiss on the forehead, then headed to the door. “I’m going to go tell my brothers the good news. I’ll be back in a little while.”

  He went out, and they could him whistling as he walked.

  “Do you see what I mean?” Seton asked.

  “Too happy,” Corinne said. “Maybe he really is.”

  “But all he’s talked about is having boys.”

  “They all do,” her aunt said wisely, “but there’s something about ‘Daddy’s little girls’ that steals a man’s heart. All the Callahan men dote on their daughters. I think it’s because there were six of those rascal boys growing up that makes them enjoy the lace and frills and my-daddy’s-a-hero of little girls.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Seton said. “I’m starting to get worried. Sam’s always just so happy.”

  “You know,” Corinne said, “it may be that the man is in love.”

  Seton blinked. “He hasn’t said so.”

  Her aunt smiled and stood. “Time will tell. For now, just relax and enjoy the bliss of being pregnant. Try to trust him just a little. Sam’s a pretty smart guy. He knew what he was doing, I believe.”

  Seton smiled, then sighed when he popped back into the den. “Yes, Sam?”

  He looked at her. “Seton, how long does the doctor think we have until the babies are born?”

  “Maybe another couple of months, if everything goes well,” she said, and Sam groaned.

  “I’m going to hire a nurse for you,” he said. “Someone who can be with you around the clock, instead of all our family and friends.”

  “Sam, I don’t want a nurse,” Seton said. “If I need a nurse, can’t Darla or Jackie come by sometimes?”

  He shook his head. “I need a nurse who’s experienced in multiple births. Never mind, I’ll get this figured out.”

  He disappeared again, and Seton turned to Corinne. “Did you see that?”

  “Yes,” she said with a laugh. “If you were worried about him being too happy and not really expressing his true feelings, I think you just sampled them.”

  “But I don’t need a nurse,” Seton stated.

  Corinne picked up her handbag. “Welcome to the new Sam. I think you’ll be getting a nurse, until he decides to hire two.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Seton exclaimed. “He’s going to have to calm down.”

  “All the Callahan men were like this,” Corinne said. “I think you’ve just seen the last of Serene Sam.”

  “Argh,” Seton said, wishing she had the worry-free Sam back.

  But she had some worries, too.

  SINCE THE NEXT DAY WAS “Sabrina’s Day” to look after her, Seton was ready to have the talk with her sister she felt she should have had long before. “The problem,” she told Sabrina, “is that you’re here keeping an eye on me, when someone should be keeping an eye on you. You’re further along than I am,” she added, with an amazed glance at her sister’s growing stomach.

  “I’m fine,” Sabrina said. “I have only one baby to think about, who seems to sleep most of the day and night so far.”

  “Not mine,” Seton said wryly. “They feel like they’re a mosh pit at a concert, always moving, although the doctor says they don’t have hardly any room left in there. I have to go to the bathroom about every thirty minutes, so it’s a good thing we’re in the bunkhouse, Sam says. Plenty of bathrooms.”

  Sabrina laughed. “It’s fun expecting together.”

  “Yeah.” Seton wasn’t having much fun—she felt glued to the sofa during the day—but she wasn’t complaining. She wanted the babies to know that she loved them, and wanted them to stay in as long as they possibly could. “Speaking of being pregnant together, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  Sabrina smiled at her. “I hope you’re going to tell me that you and Sam have decided you’re wildly in love with each other.”

  “Not yet. I mean, we’re definitely happy. And I know I did the right thing by marrying Sam.” Seton looked at her beautiful sister, wishing Sabrina could have as much happiness with Jonas as Seton was finding with Sam—unexpected as that was. “I’m definitely falling in love with him.”

  Sabrina smiled. “That’s the best news I’ve heard lately, besides the fact that I’m going to be aunt to four lovely girls.”

  “Thank you.” Seton gazed at her, knowing that the moment had come. “But that brings me to something I need to tell you, Sabrina.”

  “There’s a fifth baby I’ll be aunt to?” Sabrina asked.

  “Poor Sam if there were,” she exclaimed, and they both laughed. “No,” Seton said after a pensive moment, “what I want to tell you is that Sam and I planned our wedding so that you’d come home.”

  Sabrina looked at her. “I’m glad I came back to Diablo now. Is that what’s been bothering you—that you think you dragged me home?”

  “No, I mean we actually planned a wedding drama, a sort of one-act play, to get you home. So you’d see Jonas, and he’d see you, and hopefully realize—”

  “Oh,” Sabrina said. “I see where you’re going with this. But are you telling me that you and Sam wouldn’t have gotten married if I hadn’t been pregnant?”

  “Well, we certainly wouldn’t have thought of it, I don’t believe,” Seton said, although she wasn’t certain about that anymore, either. She and Sam felt like such a perfect fit it was hard to believe they might not have ever gotten together. “Maybe we were just looking for a reason to get serious.”

  “Okay,” Sabrina said, “so what’s the big deal? You’re happy, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I think we are. But you’re not, and that pains me. I feel I hurt you—in fact, I know I did. Because we pushed you and Jonas together, and you guys weren’t ready, and now he’s gone.”

  Her sister shrugged. “Although I realize you feel your plan went astray and you messed things up for me, I have to point out that Jonas and I didn’t have anything, anyway.”

  “I don’t know. It just seems that we made everything worse.”

  “Not likely,” Sabrina said drily. “But if you’re looking for forgiveness, I can honestly tell you that you’ve got it. I don’t care about Jonas, or what he thinks. If he doesn’t want any part of this baby’s life, that’s something I’ll deal with.”

  Seton winced. “I don’t think he didn’t want any part of your baby’s life. I believe, if I understood Sam correctly, that he doesn’t think you’re having his baby.”

  “Well, then he’s dumb,” Sabrina said. “Ugh, don’t talk to me any more about Jonas Callahan. Let’s just talk about you. That’s much more important. And how harebrained was it to fake an engagement just to get me home? What happens if Sam decides he wants a divorce after the babies are born?”

  Seton swallowed hard. “I’ve thought about that. Deceit isn’t a good foundation for a marriage, and I’ve had my share of secrets.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that,” Sabrina said. “Sam’s used to secrets at Rancho Diablo. Fiona raised those boys on secrets. Sam likely thinks a plotting female is normal. And maybe even a blessing, because those boys love their aunt, that’s for certain.”

  Seton shook her he
ad. “I don’t know. I just keep waiting for the shoe to drop. The one that has my name on it, and the message ‘everything was going along too smoothly to be real.’”

  “Well,” Sabrina said, “at least you’re married. The father of my child might not even be in the country when the stork arrives.”

  Seton didn’t think Jonas had any plans to return, not anytime soon. “He wouldn’t have left if Sam and I hadn’t dreamed up this stupid plan. And I hurt you, as much as you’re trying to make me feel that I didn’t.”

  “There’s no apology necessary,” Sabrina insisted. “The plan worked for you, so that’s the good part. If things were meant to work out for me and Jonas, they would have, no matter how much scheming anyone did.”

  “I guess so,” Seton said, aware that her sister was still trying to absolve her of any guilt. “Are you having a boy or a girl?”

  Sabrina smiled. “I have no intention of finding out until the big day. I want to be just as surprised as everyone else. But odds are on a girl, considering the boom in pink at the ranch, don’t you think?”

  The sisters laughed. It was funny how such testosterone-laden men, who prided themselves on being tough guys, were now holding pink-wrapped bundles and lugging around pink-and-white diaper bags—and were so happy about it.

  At the same time, Seton couldn’t help thinking that it wasn’t fair Sabrina would be the only one without her own Callahan man at her side.

  Unless Sam changes his mind about us, Seton thought.

  Surely four sweet little babies wouldn’t make a man run for the hills.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Around the middle of October, when the sun was turning more copper than golden over Rancho Diablo, Sabrina went into labor.

  “Where is Jonas?” Sam growled, running around the bunkhouse as if it were his own child that was being born. “He should be here!”

  Seton wanted more than anything to be at the hospital with her sister—and for her husband to calm down. “Jonas isn’t here because he doesn’t know Sabrina’s having his child.”

  “Well, I’m going to tell him. When I can reach him.” Sam started punching numbers into his cell phone, and Seton said, “Sam, stop. We’ve meddled enough, and Sabrina doesn’t want him to know.”

  Sam reluctantly put his phone away. “I’m going to punch him in the nose when I see him.”

  Seton looked fondly at her handsome, stressed husband. “Sam, we did our part. It backfired. We’re staying out of it from here on.”

  He sank onto the sofa next to her, absently rubbing her feet. “You’re right. As usual.”

  “Remember that when it’s your turn in a few weeks.”

  Sam glanced at her. “I can’t believe there are really four babies inside that belly of yours.”

  “I believe it.” Seton shifted with a slight groan. “I’m glued to this sofa, and I’m so full of drugs to keep these children in that I’m beginning to feel like a slug. I can barely remember what my toes look like.”

  “Toes are overrated, anyway. I’m much more interested in your breasts, for example.”

  But Seton couldn’t laugh at his attempt at playful husband humor. She was too worried about Sabrina. “Has no one heard from Jonas at all?”

  Sam shook his head. “His cell phone no longer accepts messages. I don’t know if that’s because it’s a different country, or what’s going on.” A frown crossed his face. “This journey of his has nothing to do with finding Fiona and Burke. It’s about Jonas finding himself.”

  “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. Let’s just hope he succeeds, and then everyone will be better off.”

  “When does the nurse come by to check you out?”

  “This afternoon. I’ll be curious to hear what she says. Last week there was a little concern over my blood pressure.”

  Sam grunted. “We’re all getting high blood pressure around here. Maybe I’ll just grab that sofa over there and we’ll lie here together and wait for babies.”

  Seton didn’t think Sam could stay still for more than five minutes. He fidgeted like a grasshopper these days. “In a year, we’re going to look back on all this and laugh.”

  He glanced at her. “I’m never going to laugh. I’m too worried about you and my babies and my stupid brother.”

  She smiled at her husband. It was true that Sam did seem to be doing his share of sympathetic pregnancy suffering. His hair stood up in a perpetual flag of worry because he was constantly shoving his fingers through it now. “What happened to the young-gun lawyer who laughed in the face of danger?”

  Sam sagged onto the sofa opposite hers and grinned. “Long gone, beautiful.”

  She didn’t feel beautiful, but when he flashed that devil-may-care smile at her, she felt she still had some of what Sam had seemed to like so much in the beginning.

  Although it was very hard to believe he could fall in love with her when she felt—and looked—like a beached whale. I’m so in love with him, Seton realized. I must have been when I came back to town.

  “I’m going to run to the hospital and see Sabrina,” Sam said, standing suddenly. “If my big dumb brother isn’t going to be here to do delivery room duty, then I’ll step up. I could probably use the practice.”

  Seton’s heart filled to the top with love. “Thank you for helping my sister and going in my place.”

  He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. “You stay right here on this tuffet, gorgeous, and when I come back, I’ll bring pictures of the new branch of your family tree.”

  AFTER SAM LEFT, Seton opened up the secret journal she’d begun keeping after learning she’d be confined to daily bed rest.

  165th day of bed rest. Completely tired, but so excited because Sabrina is having her baby. Wish I could shop for a baby present! Sam sweetly got me some gizmo so I can shop online and check email, but there’s something about picking out baby clothes in person that speaks to me.

  On our last visit to the doctor, we learned the babies can now breathe on their own, if absolutely necessary. They have tiny eyelashes. Surprising enough, all the girls seem to be healthy—though tiny!

  I’m so happy that Sabrina and I will have children the same age. Even though we didn’t plan this, it’s really a dream come true.

  Everything has been a dream.

  Seton closed the journal, stuffing it back between the sofa cushions where she kept it. Chronicling her pregnancy had given her a timeline to go back and chart the babies’ progress.

  The end was in sight.

  But what would Sam think about four babies once they were born? She wondered if he’d ever really forgiven her for not telling him that she was taking fertility drugs.

  The bunkhouse door swung open, and Seton pushed herself up to see who today’s visitor was. She blinked, too astonished to say anything for a moment. “I know who you are,” she said slowly. “You’re Chief Running Bear.”

  The elderly Native American smiled, his face leathery and kind. “And you’re Seton, sister to Sabrina, niece to Corinne Abernathy, and Fiona’s trusted secret-keeper. You can call me Bear. Or Chief.”

  Seton hesitated. “I’m not a secret-keeper, or whatever you just said.” She gestured across the coffee table to the sofa Sam commandeered when he was in the bunkhouse. “Won’t you sit down, Chief?”

  He sat, smiling the whole time. Seton wondered if he was always this happy. She felt cheered just looking at him.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Like a moose. But a happy moose, most of the time. I’m sorry I can’t get up to offer you something to drink—”

  He put up a hand. “We will talk this visit.”

  “All right.” Seton nodded, realizing that her chatter didn’t mask her nervousness. Secret-keeper? Sam had called her secretive. She wasn’t—at least she didn’t think she was, more than anybody else was. “I’m listening.”

  He nodded. “In the beginning, when Fiona hired you and Sabrina to tell the Callahan brothers that the ranch was in t
rouble, and that they needed to get married and have children, you did that for her.”

  “I didn’t,” Seton said. “Sabrina did her fortune-teller thing. I stayed on the sidelines for that act.”

  “But you never revealed, not even to your husband, that you’d been hired by Fiona to tell the story she wanted told.”

  Seton shifted uncomfortably. “It didn’t seem important to bring up.”